The production of active plasma species for surface treatments

Plasma technology is progressing rapidly, although there is still a need for much research and development. In situ diagnostics such as emission spectroscopy are set up to control the plasma processes. Two experiments concerning treatments of polymer and steel surfaces using a flowing post-discharge plasma of O2 and N2 are described. The diagnostics of O and N atom densities have been correlated to the surface activity (for the polymer) and to the coating formation (for steel). Poisoning of the glass tube walls of the flowing discharge and post-discharge reactors was achieved by introducing a little N2 into H2 or a little H2 into N2. We observed a detectable increase in density of atoms of the dominant gas species in both cases.